I Could Have Danced All Night
by PerpetualSnare
Summary: ADA Barba steps in when Cassidy can't make a date with Olivia - ONESHOT - friendship or SHIP depending on how you want to read it.
1. Chapter 1

The hour was half past seven in the evening and Olivia Benson was the last senior detective remaining in the squad room on what had been an abnormally hectic day. She was pushing to finish her paperwork by 8 o'clock. Olivia was on her last DD5 when ADA Rafael Barba walked into the squad room in his customary sartorial splendor. Only a mannequin in a Saks Fifth Avenue display window would wear the dark grey pinstripe suit and violet tie that Barba had on.

Barba cleared his throat to announce his presence.

"What – security let you in again? I thought Amaro took care of that," Olivia teased Barba after she looked up and noticed him.

"It's nice to see you too Olivia," Barba deadpanned and then switched the conversation to the reason for his visit. "Any luck with Lydia Spencer?"

"She absolutely will not name Castor as the man who assaulted her."

"Then I can't press charges against him. No accusation – no case – it's as simple as that."

"I know. I'll drop by her place again next week and see if she's ready to name names."

"Keep me in the loop," Barba requested.

Olivia knew that she couldn't push a victim out of his or her comfort zone, but she hated to see Castor get away with a crime that she wholeheartedly believed he was guilty of.

"I will," Olivia responded just before her cell phone rang.

"Hi Bri - what's up?" Olivia addressed her boyfriend, who was on the other end of the line.

At the sound of Brian's name Barba rolled his eyes, not even caring if Olivia noticed. While he had nothing personal against Brian Cassidy, Barba did think that Cassidy was somewhat beneath Olivia Benson. In his mind, the Olivia-Brian dyad was akin to a glass of good Laphroaig single malt scotch mixed with a cheap bottle of beer. He didn't like to see Olivia's rich flavor diluted with the likes of Brian Cassidy. Barba pretended that he was reading a poster on Child Safety that was taped to the side of Olivia's desk while he eavesdropped in on the conversation.

"You know this class is non-refundable…don't you?" Olivia sighed deeply into the phone. "Fine, I guess there is nothing you can do about it. I'll see you later."

After several beats Olivia ended the call and put her phone in her coat pocket. Barba observed the downcast expression on Olivia's face.

"Trouble in paradise?" Barba declared without his usual snarky vocal lilt.

"Not really. Cassidy and I were supposed to take a Salsa class in the West 50's tonight. He had to cancel," Olivia explained. "He's stuck at work again."

Barba didn't like to see a disappointed Olivia Benson. He thought the world of her as a colleague and as a friend. Rafael had no plans for that particular evening and since his work attire was _always_ appropriate for a night on the town he decided to make Olivia an offer.

"I'm one hell of a Salsa dancer - care for a substitute?"

Barba was not being flippant. In truth, he was an excellent dancer who usually had no opportunity to strut his skills. Olivia looked up at Barba in disbelief. She honestly couldn't believe that he was proposing to go dancing with her in Brian's stead. While the prospect was tempting to Olivia, she didn't think that it would be prudent.

"Nah, I wouldn't want to do that to Brian," she said. "It's just a dance class - I'll get over it."

"May I remind you that _he_ is the one who cancelled on you," Barba noted and then cocked his head slightly to the left to emphasize his point.

"I don't think so," Olivia said and shook her head to indicate her resolve.

"Suit yourself."

When Barba turned to leave he began to silently count how long it would take Olivia to change her mind.

_1 second_

_Silence_

_2 seconds_

_Silence_

_3 seconds_

_Silence_

Olivia called out to Barba just at the moment when his mental tongue was about to click 'four.'

"Wait - are you sure you don't mind?" Olivia inquired tentatively.

"It would be my pleasure," Rafael insisted and as he spun around to face her he tried his best to conceal his smug satisfaction.

"Let me get changed. I'll be ready in 10 minutes."

"I'll be here," Rafael smirked. Somehow he had known that she would give in. Olivia reached into her middle desk drawer for the black bag that contained her dress and heels. Before she took the bag out she looked up at Barba again.

"You're absolutely sure?"

"Is the Pope Catholic?" Barba cried and waved her towards the restroom with his right hand. "Go."

This was all the confirmation that Olivia needed. She snatched the bag from the desk drawer and hurried to the ladies room.

As Olivia slipped her dress over her head she thought about how excited she was at the prospect of learning something new. She had always wanted to try Salsa but had never been brave enough to do it before. She knew that Brian hated dancing but he always tried his best to please her. It then occurred to Olivia just how _often_ Brian did things just to make her happy - things that he _truly_ disliked. How many times had she dragged him to a museum or to a fancy restaurant only for him to be bored once they arrived? As Olivia fixed her make-up she remembered the money that she had spent on the tickets for her and Brian to see _Once_ at the Jacobs theater. Brian had ended up falling asleep in the middle of the first act. When Olivia was putting on her heels she frowned as she realized just how complacent Brian actually was.

Olivia emerged from the restroom wearing a low cut knee-length red silk red dress and black heels. Barba looked up from the magazine that he was reading when he heard the clack of Olivia's heels on the flooring. He gave her a glance of approval and said, "Well look at you."

"How do I clean up?" Olivia solicited his male opinion.

"Remind me to remind myself that you're spoken for."

His words made Olivia uneasy. Barba clearly knew that she was in a committed relationship with Brian Cassidy. In no way could this be considered a date.

"Maybe this is a bad idea. People might get the wrong idea," Olivia suggested.

"So what if they do. Having an affair with an attractive female detective is far better gossip than what's been circulating about me lately." Olivia heard a hint of melancholy in Rafael's voice.

"Well, if you put it that way - I suppose I could provide fodder for tomorrow's water cooler chat at the DA's office if you think it would benefit you," Olivia danced around the subject of the Muñoz scandal with delicate humor.

"I promise I'll be a gentleman. We'll dance with our arms a ruler's length apart like we used to do at Saint Anthony's dances. Even Sister David would approve. Cassidy has nothing to worry about."

This made Olivia laugh. She suddenly realized that Rafael almost _always_ made her laugh.

"Let's go dancing, counselor," Olivia capitulated while grabbing her purse. As Olivia walked towards the elevator with her dance partner she felt lighthearted and free, happy to be tasting life with the spirited Rafael Barba - even if it was only for one evening.


	2. Chapter 2

The door to _Fantastic Feet_ dance studio swung shut behind Olivia and Rafael. They found themselves in a small rectangular room with a wooden floor. A full length mirror spanned the entire width of the wall opposite them and the remaining three walls were painted electric blue. On the right side of the room there was a black door which was slightly ajar.

"Where is everybody else?" Rafael questioned Olivia with a doubtful face.

"Um - it's a private class," Olivia said, feeling somewhat self-conscious. "I hope that you don't mind."

"You neglected to mention that it would be a pri—," Rafael began to admonish her, but was interrupted by a young man with curly brown hair who stepped out from behind the black door. A petite woman with straight long black hair followed him.

"You must be Olivia Benson," the man said warmly and extended his hand to her. "My name is Jose and this is my wife Marisol. We run the studio together. We spoke on the phone when you booked the class." Jose was just a bit taller than Olivia and he was in good physical shape. She thought that he was very handsome. Marisol was rather attractive and both Olivia and Rafael were of the opinion that the young couple made a visually appealing match.

"This is Rafael," Olivia responded casually with a wave of her hand. Only when Olivia saw Rafael smile at the sound of his first name on her lips did she realize that she had never called him by his given name in front of him before.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Jose said.

"You are beginners right?" Marisol confirmed.

"So I'm a beginner, but he's not," Olivia confessed with a slight shake of her head.

"Alright then," Jose said. "I will work with Olivia for about 15 minutes and teach her the basic steps. Marisol will work with Rafael just to make sure that he really knows his stuff. Once I feel that you are comfortable with the basics, we will pair you up."

The situation suddenly felt quite ridiculous to both Olivia and Rafael. Sure they drank together after work, but taking a dance class together was another matter completely. Yet, here they were and neither Rafael nor Olivia wanted to admit the mutual desire of wanting to back out of the class. Rafael took off his suit jacket and laid it on a chair that was in front of the mirror. He rolled up his sleeves, loosened his tie, and then joined Marisol in a corner of the dance studio.

"Alright, let's see what you've got," Marisol said with a wink.

Rafael held out his hands and Marisol took them gently in her own hands. Jose was already working with Olivia on the other side of the room. When Marisol took one step forward with her right leg Rafael took one step back with his left leg. Anything she did, he did with the opposite leg in the opposite direction. After about one minute, Marisol realized that there was very little that she could teach Rafael and so they soon fell into a comfortable rhythm, doing turns and other advanced steps. When Olivia saw how proficient Rafael truly was, she stopped dancing and put her hands on her hips.

"You've got to be kidding me? Really?"

"Where did you learn to dance?" Jose asked, "You are quite good."

"My mother. She was a professional dancer before she got married," Rafael said with a shrug of his shoulders. He was not entirely comfortable with the sudden attention.

Jose turned to Olivia and said, "You've got a formidable dance partner to measure up to."

"You're telling me?" Olivia snorted rhetorically.

"We'll take a coffee break so that you two can concentrate," Marisol said in an effort to put Olivia at ease.

Marisol and Rafael walked to the left side of the room where there was a freshly brewed pot of coffee sitting on a card table. Marisol poured Rafael a steaming cup of coffee and when she handed it to him she said, "Your girlfriend is very attractive."

Rafael almost spilled the coffee on his shirt upon hearing her words. "Uh…not my girlfriend – I'm just borrowing her for the night."

"That could change. Dance often leads to romance."

"Is that on the brochure?" Rafael scoffed. He couldn't believe that he was actually having this conversation with a woman who he had only known for 10 whole minutes.

"Actually it is," Marisol admitted sheepishly.

"She's got a boyfriend," Rafael said dryly, not apologizing for his previous comment.

"Then why is she here with you?" Marisol questioned without a trace of her former smile.

"Damned if I know," Rafael said under his breath.

Rafael watched Olivia practice with Jose. She was still somewhat awkward with her steps, but she wasn't making mistakes anymore. As the red fabric of Olivia's dress swished around her hips, Rafael found himself mesmerized by her backside. Marisol noticed where Rafael's eyes were, but she didn't say anything.

After a few more minutes, Jose and Olivia stopped dancing.

"I think she's ready for you," Jose called to Rafael.

Olivia's skin was flushed and Rafael couldn't help but notice how lovely she looked. When Rafael strode towards Olivia, she became mindful of their height difference. She didn't know if Rafael's short stature bothered him, but she was still sensitive to his pride.

"My heels are pinching my feet. I'm going to take them off," Olivia fibbed. Rafael didn't show any sign of perceiving the intent behind her actions. He just watched as she kicked her heels to the side of the room. When Olivia approached Rafael in her bare feet, he found himself wishing that they were in his apartment instead of in the drafty dance studio. He would much prefer to see Olivia curled up on his leather couch with a glass of Merlot in hand, especially if she were wearing that particular red dress.

"Are we ready?" Jose asked.

Rafael put out his hands for her and even though Olivia took them lightly, she could feel how strong they were. Without the heels, Olivia was still slightly taller than her dance partner but the stark difference had been leveled. The music started and when Olivia stepped forward with her right foot, Rafael stepped back with his left. This initial step had been in perfect accord and Jose was pleased as he watched Olivia's confidence grow. Olivia glanced down at her feet out of nervousness and momentarily lost her focus. She stepped forward when she should have stepped backward, subsequently almost stepping on Rafael's foot.

"Liv, don't look down at your feet. Look at me. Keep your eyes focused on mine," Rafael commanded softly. He knew that she was anxious – he could feel the tension in her hands.

"I'm sorry," Olivia apologized and then looked up at Rafael's face. As she concentrated on his light green eyes and mischievous smile her steps became more fluid. They traveled across the dance floor with increasing ease and so Jose and Marisol barely interfered in the proceedings. The more Olivia looked at Rafael's face, the more she liked it and the more she became attached to it. For his part, Rafael had become attached to Olivia's face a long time ago.

Olivia and Rafael danced for about ten more minutes and then Jose turned off the music.

"The class is over for tonight," Marisol announced.

Olivia turned to the couple and said, "Thank you for the lesson. I had a great time."

"What she said," Rafael tilted his head in Olivia's direction. He wasn't one for effusive praise, plus he was still a bit ticked off at Marisol.

"Do you think you two might be back?" Jose inquired.

"I'll see if I can get my boyfriend to come," Olivia responded, "He has two left feet, so I might actually make him look good."

"Rafael, we have an advanced class on Saturday nights if you would be interested," Jose offered.

"My schedule is pretty busy, but I might stop by," Rafael lied. He had no intention of coming back. Olivia and Rafael thanked the couple again, collected their coats, and exited the building. A cab was letting a man out just as Olivia and Rafael stepped outside.

"I am going to catch this cab," Olivia proclaimed abruptly and caught the cabbie's attention with her hand.

"Wait – I've got my car here – what are you doing?" Rafael was caught off-guard.

"I'm going to take the taxi back to the office. I'll pick up my car from there."

"Are you sure? My car is just down the block," Rafael insisted with a confused expression on his face.

"Yep – the precinct isn't on your way home."

"Okay," Rafael conceded when he saw Olivia's determination to take the cab. There was an awkward silence – a kiss on the cheek didn't seem appropriate – a handshake would be too formal, so Olivia just nodded her head and he nodded back.

"Goodnight," they said almost simultaneously.

Olivia got into the cab and the taxi driver drove away. Rafael stood on the sidewalk looking at where the taxi had been trying to figure out why Olivia's departure had been so hasty. She didn't even give him a chance to ask if she would like a nightcap. It's not as if they didn't enjoy each other's company. Then Rafael's mind turned to Cassidy. Maybe he had come on too strong on the dance floor. Had Olivia felt uncomfortable? Had he said something that had offended her? Rafael sighed and started walking towards his car. On the way, he passed a bar. His body was aching for the bitter dram of the goddess grain and so he decided to go in and sit for a spell.

While the taxi wove its way to the precinct, Olivia wondered why she had left Rafael like that. Rafael made her smile and she really hadn't been ready to stop smiling for the night. It was a Friday evening after all and she had no plans to go into the office tomorrow. Why had Olivia resisted her natural inclination to go out for a drink with him? Perhaps it was a strong desire to maintain the façade that it hadn't been a date which lay behind Olivia's sudden flight. Olivia honestly couldn't even begin to imagine what Brian would think if she came home from dancing and drinking with another man, especially if that man was ADA Rafael Barba. Brian surely wouldn't like his girlfriend being wined and dined by a man whose wardrobe cost more than half of his annual salary.

It was true that Brian would have been terrible on the dance floor and he probably would have been clumsier than she had been. She could just hear Brian making excuses about why he couldn't go back for a second class. At the precinct Olivia had had the chance to turn down Rafael's offer and yet she had chosen not to. Instead, she had chosen to open the gates of intimacy wider than they had ever been before. But as Olivia sat in the back of the cab, she told herself that stepping through that gate would be a fool's journey.

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If there are typos and/or grammatical errors, I do apologize. It's late and I'm tired. All can be fixed tomorrow.


End file.
